Tag Archives: election 2016

Presidential Elections are Not National Psychodramas

  People say they “just don’t trust Hillary.” Are you hearing people say this? I’m hearing this – I’m hearing this a lot, actually. It’s disturbing because while there are reasons not to trust Hillary Clinton, there aren’t very many good reasons. Most of the “reasons” are nebulous, confused, based on erroneous information, or outright made up.Continue reading “Presidential Elections are Not National Psychodramas”

Morning Coffee in Jersey City Links

Nothing in particular to focus on this morning, so some links: Contra me, Matthew Yglesias over at Vox argues that Donald Trump’s performance in Iowa was impressive. Yglesias is right that by historical standards Trump did well in Iowa, where several factors favor a Ted Cruz-type or a Marco Rubio-type. However, doing well in relative terms is not going toContinue reading “Morning Coffee in Jersey City Links”

This is Exactly How Trump Loses

It has only been two days since his second place finish in Iowa, but Talking Points Memo has already flagged multiple instances of Donald Trump sounding like a sore loser. This is exactly how Trump – who can’t stop being Trump, after all – is going to lose the nomination, if he loses. Here, Trump whinesContinue reading “This is Exactly How Trump Loses”

Iowa Recap

Iowa Caucuses results are in and they are interesting. Any results are going to be interesting to election junkies, but these ones include a few genuine surprises. In yesterday’s preview post, I went with the polls and predicted victories for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, though I specified that the Clinton-Bernie Sanders race was basically aContinue reading “Iowa Recap”

Iowa (Sorta) Matters Once Every Four Years

Today the people of Iowa go out and caucus for presidential candidates. Here’s a good primer on how everything works. Some quick takeaways: The caucuses don’t start until 7 p.m. Central Time. They’re complicated, especially on the Democratic side. There’s a chance that results in both caucuses won’t be known for a few days or even weeks,Continue reading “Iowa (Sorta) Matters Once Every Four Years”

The Lament of the Moderate Northeastern Republican

If you follow American sports or consume even a little sports media, you probably know or have at least heard the name of Bill Simmons. Originally from the Boston area and known for a unique voice that blends the passions of a local sports fan with a deep appreciation for American popular culture, Simmons arose to nationalContinue reading “The Lament of the Moderate Northeastern Republican”

Weekend Links

I didn’t watch last night’s Republican debate (was teaching when it aired) or read enough about it to do another “The Agony of Debate” post (previous posts here and   here). The Guardian has somewhat evenhanded coverage so if you missed the debate as well, I suggest this link for a good summary of how the candidates interacted and thisContinue reading “Weekend Links”

The Home Stretch; Or, It’s Just Beginning

Fox Business is hosting another Republican debate this Thursday. Things will look a little different this time around with new rules about who qualifies for the main stage. Only the top six candidates in national polls will earn a slot. At the moment, they would be Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie,Continue reading “The Home Stretch; Or, It’s Just Beginning”